


The Forest for Lovers

by greenieboy



Category: 9 to 5 the Musical - Parton/Resnick
Genre: Alternate Universe, Comedy, F/F, Nymph!Judy, it’s kinda midsummer night’s dream but with a bit of a twist ??, violet’s a simp for judy, with a lil angst but it’s tiny so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:13:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23212318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenieboy/pseuds/greenieboy
Summary: Judy finds Violet in her forest, running away from a boy, and attempts to help her. It goes very, very wrong.
Relationships: Judy Bernly/Violet Newstead
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	The Forest for Lovers

**Author's Note:**

> no beta ?? teddy glanced over it but idk if they made edits. it’s 3am ;)))

Judy perked, listening to the whispers of the forest. She squinted, pursing her lips. There were creatures - humans, in the forest. It had been many moon cycles since a human last stepped foot in her forest. Judy wasn’t entirely fond of them; humans were loud, and aggressive, and devious. But young lovers adored her forest and the “good luck” it brought to their lives. Eons ago, the forest was rumored to be where humans could find their truest loves. That was, for lack of an excuse, all Judy’s doing. She used to take pity on the boys and girls who wandered into the woods in search of love. They were always so lost and helpless, looking for their other half to be whole. Judy would, once upon a time, use a magicked dart or two to enchant the humans and lead them one another. The humans would fall in love without a second glance and escape the forest to be happily wed. Judy wasn’t so sympathetic anymore, not when she realized that humans had created a custom of sending their children into her woods into order to marry them off. She had stopped then, and never again meddled with their silly lives. And as the decades passed, the humans stopped meddling in hers. Until now, that was.

She stood on a tree branch, scanning the area and listening. It was… a girl. As well as a boy. She sighed; young lovers, searching her woods. With a leap, she followed the sounds of voices, keeping to the trees as she closed in on the pair of humans. Stood in a clearing was a girl, draped in a fine cloak, and a boy behind her, nearly on his knees begging. Judy’s eyebrows rose; she was not accustomed to seeing this. She leaned in, narrowing her eyes.

“Won’t you have me? I’ll do anything for you!” Pleased the boy, like a fawning child.

The girl gritted her teeth. “Anything?” She questioned, staring him down. He nodded exuberantly. She clicked her tongue. “How about you leave me be!”

The boy groaned as the girl turned on her heel and walked from him. “What can I do to make you love me?” He whined, melancholy and morose. The girl looked on the verge of lashing out. Judy felt incredibly sorry for her.

“You can abandon your foolish attempts at wooing me,” offered the girl, her voice strained. Judy had to agree.

The boy began to sob, falling to the dirt helplessly. “Anything but that!” He wailed petulantly. The girl scoffed, suddenly breaking into a run away from the boy. He rushed to his feet, attempting to chase after her but the girl was gone without a trace. He dropped to his knees once more, being to sob so wretchedly that Judy couldn’t stand to watch him. Instead, she leapt from her spot in the trees in the direction of the girl, following her subtle trail west. Judy frowned; the girl was running deeper into the woods. Certainly she must have been unaware. Judy realized she was going to get lost if she continued on. That would not happen on her watch. She increased her speed, finding the girl still running with no intentions of stopping. Alas Judy _needed_ to stop her. Swiftly, she conjured a bit of magic and threw it down in front of the girl’s path, blocking her way. The girl shrieked, falling backwards. She glanced around, terrified. Judy sighed, sympathetic for once. She plucked a berry from the branch she stood upon and whispered her intent softly. _Guide her home._ Then, retrieving the straw from her hair, Judy placed the berry within it and shot it at the girl, hitting her in the back of the neck.

“Ah!” The girl slumped to her knees, slapping a hand to her neck. Judy watched as the human glanced at her hand, panting heavily. She assumed it was blood, didn’t she? The girl sat still, unmoving. Why wasn’t she leaving? Judy had given her the directions to leave these woods, so why was she just sitting there? Humans truly were moronic. With a roll of her eyes, she climbed to a lower branch, revealing herself to the human.

“Go home,” Judy said. The human’s eyes snapped toward her, and she fell back, fearful.

“Who-“ The girl swallowed, marveling at Judy. “Who are you?”

“The guardian of this place,” replied Judy. “You must go. Now.” She spoke cautiously, yet firmly. But once more, the human did not move. She simply stared at Judy with gleaming eyes, her mouth agape. Surely no human should have as much trouble as this girl was having. Judy scaled down the tree to the ground, walking toward the girl. It wasn’t until she was a foot away that the girl scrambled to her feet. Judy inhaled sharply, eyes bulging; she was _tall._ And… dressed like a merchant? Goodness, Judy had never seen a human quite like the one before her. “Human, you must-“

“Your ears!” Gasped the human. “You... aren’t human, are you?”

Judy shook her head. The human was a bit charming when she displayed the hint of a brain. “I am not,” confirmed Judy. “I guard these woods. And _you_ are trespassing, so it is time to-“

“Oh my god! You - you’re - you’re Judith! Aren’t you?” Exclaimed the girl, pointing at Judy. Her eyes widened. “My mother used to tell me stories about you. When I was child! But you can’t be real. Fables like you aren’t real. B-But you’re standing in front of me, so you must be. How is that possible?”

Judy smiled, stepping toward the girl. “Well, I can say that I am very much real, human, although I don’t make a habit of revealing myself to humans.” The girl exhaled, leaning forward as if to inspect Judy, and Judy could distinctly observe her dilated pupils and flushed cheeks. Then the girl touched the back of her neck, hissing at the pain. Judy winced. “I apologize. You seemed... lost, so I tried to give you directions out of-“

The girl interrupted her. “You are magnificent.”

Judy flushed pink. “Pardon?” The girl stared at her, however, saying nothing in return, with her lips parted and her breathing heavy. Then, with no indication, she closed in on Judy, pressing her lips to the nymph’s firmly as her hands came up to cup her cheeks. Judy made a startled noise, her hands grasping the human’s wrists as she attempted to remove herself from the embrace. But the human was persistent, following Judy’s movements and maintaining their heady kiss. It was like a vicious cycle, Judy backing away and the human moving in suit, and Judy found herself unable to break free. It wasn’t until Judy was squarely trapped between a tree and the human that she began to realize that something was terribly wrong. She poked lightly at the human’s chest, sending her flying backwards. “Are you alright, human? You’re -“

“Have me!” Said the human.

The air in Judy’s lungs was knocked from her. “What?”

The humans scurried to Judy, falling down into her knees. She clasped her hands together as if to plead. “Let me be yours. I can serve you, attend to you, keep you content and amused. Allow me, please I beg of you,” bemoaned the human, eyebrows upturned. “Have me, Judith, please.” Judy balked, unable to reply. What on earth was happening? When had young humans begun to throw themselves at the feet of others and beg for companionship? The girl was now explicably behaving much like the boy she had escaped from. Judy tsked, watching the heartbreak in the poor human’s eyes, and it clicked. Oh no.

“Oh goodness, you poor thing,” said Judy, falling to her knees. She cupped the girl’s cheeks, observing her intently. “Oh dear. You’ve been enchanted by a love dart of mine. I must have magicked it wrong.” The girl sagged into her touch, her eyes shining with intoxicated infatuation. Judy bit her lip; this human was rather lovely. With her smooth skin and pretty eyes and golden hair, Judy almost felt entranced herself. She shook her head. How could she resolve this? Surely there was a way to reverse the enchantment? Judy pursed her lips. She had never needed a way until now, and she was unsure of what would do the trick. Could she just send her back to her village and be done, hoping the spell will wear off? Judy sighed warily; the human would probably scrap her way back to the forest in search of Judy, or go mad trying. Was there a plant that could do anything? Perhaps endleflowers, or parlisp leaves, or-

The human surged forward, connecting their lips once more and sending Judy down to the dirt. She hovered atop the nymph, in between Judy’s parted legs with sturdy hands planted by Judy’s head. This was going to become an issue. Judy made a noise, nearly losing herself in the sensation, but she furrowed her brow, placing a hand on her cheek to nudge the human off, but it only made the human kiss harder. Never had she seen her enchantment work like this. The poor girl was practically incapable of controlling herself. And poor Judy was the one on receiving end. Gods, what a mess she had made. Finally, the girl released her lips, her pupils nearly eclipsing her irises.

“Really, human,” murmured Judy as she attempted to rise. “You ought to-“ A squeak escaped Judy as soon as the human’s lips found her neck, pressing soft, searing kisses into the flesh. Her knee jerked, coming to the side of the human’s hip, and Judy could feel heat rising in her cheeks. She shuddered with very kiss. “Human - you need - mmm- help. A-Allow me to-“

“Violet!” The human - Violet - froze, snapping her head up. Judy followed her gaze; it was another human, the boy from before, standing no more than seven or so yards away. He looked absolutely devastated, with tears in his eyes, as he clutched his face in anguish. Violet leaned onto her haunches, away from Judy, who took the chance to sit up and compose herself. “W-what’s going on here?” Demanded the boy.

“Nothing concerning you,” retorted Violet harshly.

The bot frowned, his expression becoming one of anger. “Who is that?” He gestured to Judy. She opened her mouth to explain to him what was occurring, but Violet was quicker than she.

“Judith, guardian of the forest,” she said sharply. She scrambled off of Judy, standing her ground against the boy. “I’m in love with her!”

Both Judy and the boy exclaimed in unison, “What?”

Judy hurried to her feet; the situation was much, much worse than she had anticipated. Gods help her now. “I am terribly sorry, human,” she said, coming in between Violet and the boy. He drew his sword, and Violet took hold of Judy’s waist, jerking her close in order to shield her. She gulped, begging for the Gods assistance. “I assumed she was lost and attempted to give her guidance out of these woods, b-but I mistakenly... enchanted her... heart. I can assure you, I meant not to-“

“You - you stole her from me!” Raved the boy suddenly. “You bewitched her!” He pointed his sword at Judy. “You will pay dearly, you temptress.”

Violet snarled. “You won’t lay a finger on her.”

The boy’s eyes flickered to Violet, hardening. “Try and stop me.” He reeled his arm behind himself, swinging down toward Judy with a murderous rage in his face. Judy covered her eyes, shirking behind Violet and cowering. She felt Violet move swiftly, drawing her own weapon, and heard the clang of metal as it rang out through the empty forest. It resounded once more, more forceful this time, followed by two thuds. Judy opened one eye to see Violet, with her sword pointed at the boy’s throat. He was trembling, fallen into his back, fear gleaming in his weak eyes, and his sword was laying by Violet’s feet. It had only been a few seconds, at most, and yet she had disarmed the boy without hesitation. Any mercy she may have possessed had left her eyes. Judy held her breath.

“Leave, Joseph,” Violet hissed, her dopey demeanor from before completely erased with a steeled glaze in her eyes. “Leave, and don’t ever return.” The boy nodded, scurrying from the end of Violet’s blade to his feet and into the forest behind him. He glanced to them once, his terror evident, before disappearing into the trees. Judy took a step away from Violet, watching as the human panted heavily, eyes focused in the direction of the boy. She said without glancing to Judy, “Are you alright?”

Judy scoffed, exasperated, as she rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m quite fine. But that boy was right, _you_ are completely bewitched. Have you no understanding of what exactly has occurred here?”

Violet furrowed her brow, finally looking to Judy. “I - well, I-“ She paused. Then, “No. I don’t.” Judy rolled her eyes again; this was too much. Sighing, she rubbed her jaw, eyeing the human cautiously. This was… a terrible mishap. The boy would no doubt go running to his village and expose her existence. But Violet has said herself that Judy was a legend amongst humans. Who would believe him? And speaking of Violet, what was she to do with this love stricken human that kept lunging for her at every turn? Judy sighed irritably, to which Violet - the human in question - responded by taking the nymph’s hands in her own and pulling her in for, get this, another kiss.

She gently nudged Violet away, stroking her jaw. “Violet, you must listen to me,” said Judy firmly, her hand suddenly grabbing Violet’s jaw. “You are under an enchantment. Anything you feel for me is not your own emotions, but those brought on by my magic. I can help you, but-“

“Help me?” Questioned Violet, removing Judy’s hand from her face. “Why would you need to help me?”

Judy groaned. “You’ve been enchanted to fall in love with me, human! I need to break that enchantment so you can go home.”

“What if I don’t want to go home?” Demanded Violet. “What if I want to stay here, with you?”

“Well you can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I say so.” Judy huffed, crossing her arms. “This is my forest, and I say who stays and who leaves. You - must _leave.”_ She was well and truly riled up now. Violet suddenly dropped her persistent expression, smiling.

“You are very pretty when you’re angry,” she said simply. Judy was going to go mad. She rubbed her forehead.

Finally, she said, “Follow me,” and turned on her heel, walking deeper into the woods. She heard Violet rush to follow her, taking her hand suddenly. She glanced at the human, deciding to ignore that contact. For now. They trekked on for a while in silence, Judy tuning out the human to listen to the forest. She guided Violet swiftly, following the path to her residence. Violet followed willingly, her lovesick demeanor back with full fervor. Judy would have to remind herself to _never_ meddle with humans, ever again. Regardless of anything. She shook her head, hearing Violet’s foot step on something hollow. Judy stopped, smiling. Violet gazed at her, enamoured, as the nymph walked beside her, swiftly stomped her foot onto the trap door. The door gave way for them to fall, Judy landing on her feet and Violet on her behind.

“Aw, ow,” Violet groaned weakly. Judy offered her hand to the human, who accepted it. Except, instead of pulling herself up, Violet tugged Judy down onto her, smirking, and Judy looked at her, realizing they were _very_ close. Violet's nose brushed her own, and Judy could feel her cheeks warming it. She was loath to admit it, but the human had an affect on her. One she dearly wished to ignore in times like these. But Violet was inching toward her, and Judy no longer felt very inclined to keep resisting her advances. The human was an extraordinary kisser. But instead of receiving a kiss, Judy felt a finger on the tip of her pointy ear, and Violet whispered, “Your ears are adorable.” Judy furrowed her brow.

“We do not have time for this, Violet.”

Violet sighed dreamily. “I love how you say my name.”

“Violet, really…” Judy rose to her feet, offering her hand once more.

“Mhm. Just like that.” Violet accepted it, finally rising to her feet with Judy’s assistance. They walked side by side, and Violet took in the tunnel, suddenly very curious. “What is all this?” She asked in awe.

“Tunnels. I dug them a few centuries ago. Each one leads to my home,” Judy replied. “I don’t use them very often anymore but they can be useful occasionally.”

Violet’s brow twisted in confusion. “A few centuries ago?”

Judy hummed. “Yes. I was a lazier nymph then, but one does become bored of crawling through tunnels day and night.”

“How long have you been alive?” Asked Violet.

“Oh,” Judy sighed wistfully. “Longer than you’d ever believe.” Violet said nothing else, and Judy wondered if she had shocked the human. Perhaps. Humans lived short lives with little pleasures beside drinking and eating, and some weren’t even able to do that. The idea of living for several centuries probably escaped Violet’s understanding of the world. Judy glanced to Violet, but she found she had nothing to say. Instead, she chided herself and took Violet’s hand, guiding her carefully through the tunnel. Violet smiled. Judy moved faster, taking them through the twists and turns with little thought. Violet was panting behind her, but she didn’t ask to slow or stop for a moment. Judy knew they weren’t far off; she hoped the human could last just a bit longer. With a last burst, she sped down the tunnel. toward the main line, directly connected to her home. She began to see a familiar glow from afar, relief flooding her. “Nearly there, Violet.”

Violet nodded drowsily. “Great.”

Judy chuckled, slowing her pace before stopping underneath another trap door. She gently pushed the door open, climbing in through the small hole and helping Violet do the same. Violet kissed her, with her arms propping her up through the hole while her legs were still in the tunnel. Judy broke it off quickly, rising to her feet as Violet climbed out the rest of the way. “Sit,” said Judy, pointing to a lounge by her fireplace. Violet stared at the nymph, doing as she was told and taking a seat. The human gazed around curiously at the shelves full of trinkets and toys, herbs and spices, knick knacks and such. Judy rubbed her forehead. “Alright,” she murmured to herself, eyeing the shelves of herbs and leaves across from her. The solution had to be in one of those jars. She picked out the container of dried endleflowers, turning to Violet. “Let’s get started.”

First, they tried everything Judy had individually. This took, unfortunately, many hours. Endleflowers made Violet terribly ill, rospin leaves made her dizzy, toudil petals made her giggly, et cetera. Judy allowed Violet breaks, searching through her stock for the next jar to try. Violet, regardless of the varying effects each plant had on her, was a good sport. She took the waves of nausea, or dizziness, or loopiness as they came, all with that pretty grin on her face (most likely for the sake of Judy). But as they went through everything she owned, with nothing working in their favor, Judy grew anxious. What if nothing could reverse this? What if Violet was stuck, helplessly in love with Judy for the rest of her human life? Naturally, she would refuse to go home. Would that mean she would stay with Judy? And what about her village? Surely they would come looking for Violet if she never returned? And wouldn’t that mean _more_ trespassers in her forest? Judy blanched at that, picking out the jar of atdel leaves. Something would work, she just knew it.

“Judith, I don't think I can take much more of this,” whined Violet sometime later. Judy was rubbing her cheeks, frustration building in her lower back. She had not felt stress like _this_ in decades. All her hair was probably turning white, again. That would be just great.

“You can call me Judy,” she muttered. “All my sisters do.”

Violet grunted. “Judy…” She murmured weakly, looking at Judy with soft, tired eyes. “I _can’t_ take much more of this.”

Judy sighed, coming to sit next to Violet. “There has to be something that can fix this,” Judy said, resting her cheek on Violet’s shoulder. “You can’t stay like this forever.”

“Why not?” Asked Violet.

Judy planted her face in her hands. “Because you are a human, Violet! It isn’t right for you to be in love with me,” Judy snapped, instantly regretting her tone toward the human. “And…” She paused, suddenly feeling very lonely. “You have a home, in a village, with people who will surely miss you if you up and disappear, so you can’t just stay with me.” The loneliness was bubbling up now, rising up her throat and burning her in the process. “You do understand that I am centuries old? I was born before your ancestors’ bloodline even began, and I will die long after it has ended.”

Violet nodded dumbly, silently, and Judy wished she would say something. But the human didn’t. Judy felt guilt creeping into her chest, weighing her down. She shouldn’t have snapped at Violet like that; she was only a human. It was Judy at fault, the moronic nymph who had no control over her own magic, apparently. The idiotic “guardian” that couldn’t even protect herself from a measly human. The thought plagued her, but Judy wasn’t interested in hearing them. She instead listened to the silence, thinking herself in circles about what she was doing wrong. She was trying to find the right answers, put the correct pieces together, fix this mess, but nothing she did seemed to work. It seemed almost as if Violet wasn’t even enchanted by her magic.

_What if…_

“Violet!” Judy exclaimed, slapping her palms onto her knees.

“Judy?” Questioned Violet.

Judy leaned into Violet’s personal space, taking in her appearance. “What do you remember after being hit on the back of your neck?” She asked.

Violet blinked. “Well, I remember it hurting quite a bit.” Judy gritted her teeth, but Violet continued. “And then there was this voice in my head telling me to walk thirty paces north, fifty paces east, and-“

Judy groaned, sinking down onto the floor like a puddle. She laid there, hands covering her face as her groan turned into a chaotic laugh. Violet watched her curiously, but Judy simply laughed madly, feeling her stress and tension dissolve as she did so. She sat up, cupping her own cheeks as she giggled. “You’re telling me…” said Judy. “That my spell to guide you home _worked?_ And you’ve just been an infatuated little human this entire time?”

Violet pursed her lips. “I guess so,” she replied, shrugging with that dopey smile. Judy stood, still laughing as she brushed hair out of her face. Oh, she had not felt this light in centuries. She walked to the small table with countless opened jars atop it. With one flick, the lids were up in the air and floating onto their jars, twisting shut, and with another, the jars themselves were floating up and toward their respective spots on her shelves and in her pantry. The magic flowed through her fingers, peacefully and freely, and it felt good to use her magic on a bigger task than moving about ry forest. Violet watched, eyes wide and starry, amazed at such a spectacle. Judy smiled, suddenly very relieved. She then turned to Violet.

“Alright. It’s time for you to go home,” she said.

Violet stood suddenly, advancing on Judy. “What?”

Judy smiled, cupping her cheek. “You’re fine, Violet. You can go home in peace.”

Violet shook her head. “I don’t want to. I _want_ to stay with you. I love you.”

Judy frowned apologetically. “Have you not been listening to me? You must go home, Violet. You need to return to your village, your family, your-“

“What if I came back to the forest? Everyday, just to see you?” Violet asked, taking Judy’s hands.

Judy tsked, shaking her head. “Violet…”

“I could do it, Judy. For you, I would.” 

Judy smiled sadly. Of all the humans to turn away, why did it have to be Violet? She blinked away her own tears. “Oh, why must humans be so silly?” She asked Violet softly, stroking the human’s cheek with her thumb.

“Because… we fall in love?” Violet offered, and her voice sounded so hopeful that Judy felt her chest cave in. What a strange creature Violet was. She leaned closer to Judy, her lips barely a hair’s breadth away, and Judy knew she had not the willpower to stop the human. The opposite, in fact. She rose on her toes into Violet, connecting their lips in a soft kiss. A little patch of tension unfurled in her chest, sending little shockwaves through Judy. Violet’s hands came to her cheeks, and Judy sighed into the warm contact, sagging into Violet. Her hands rested on the human’s chest, and she could feel the fluttery heart beat through the cloth of her shirt. Their noses brushed as they kissed, and Judy smiled as Violet’s hand moved to cup the back of her head, just barely grazing the pointy tip of her ear. At last, Judy lowered herself to the floor, Violet’s hands still warming her skin ever so slightly.

“Let me stay,” said Violet. “Please?”

Judy sighed, swallowing and glancing up to the human. “Go home tonight.” Disappointment and hurt drooped the features of Violet’s face so rawly, Judy’s heart contorted in her chest. She shook her head, taking a deep breath. “Go home tonight, and do whatever you feel you must. And then…” She tucked a bit of hair behind Violet’s ear before she cupped Violet’s cheek again, allowing a soft smile to grace her lips. “And then tomorrow, come back to the forest.” A dazzling smile lit Violet’s face, as she ducked to kiss Judy again. And again. And… again.

**Author's Note:**

> leave a kudos or comment if u enjoyed this and find me on tumblr @ bernly <33


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